How do you target specific mech parts? And wheres accuracy shown?

[Justin_760]

The games "tutorial" is ridiculous, doesnt explain anything but a few simple things. When I target an enemy attack, the window up top show different parts (arms, legs, etc) but clicking them doesnt actually do anything. The only way to fire is to click the fire button below, which doesnt target anything but the mech as a whole, no amount of clicking or random button pressing has enabled me to target specific parts. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, accuracy? I was expecting a % amount, but the only numbers I see when targeting are S and A. For example S:11/11 and A:15/60. Can someone explain what those numbers respresent and what they mean? Please help, game looks really cool but the many layers of depth that are completely unexplained is overwhelming.

[RedSector73]

Called shot. Its a skill.

[Procrastinating Gamer]

Targetting Specific Body Parts: This is what is known as a Called Shot. Called Shots can only be made against 'Mechs that have been immobilised (either due to being knocked down, or suffering automatic shutdown due to overheating), or via the morale-fuelled skill Precision Strike.

Other than those, the closest you can get to targetting a specific body part is positioning the attacking 'Mech in the right arc of the enemy. So if you've worn down their left-torso, try to position the one making the next attack onto the target's left - this changes the potential locations you'll hit (shown by a pulsing red highlight around the target's damage readout at the top of the screen when selecting a target).

Accuracy: This is displayed on the weapon's panel in the bottom-right as a percentage beside each weapon (showing that particular weapon's chances to hit - you can mouse over a weapon to get a tooltip showing what modifiers are being applied to that weapon's attack). Mousing over an enemy while setting your facing (but before confirming it) can let you preview what chances to hit you'll have from that location before you make the move.

As for the S and A values you mentioned; those are basically HP. A is how many armour points the 'Mech (or the specific location if you're mousing over a particular part) has left while S is how many structure points are left (a location is destroyed when it loses all of its structure points).

[Justin_760]

Originally posted by Shadow88:

Targetting Specific Body Parts: This is what is known as a Called Shot. Called Shots can only be made against 'Mechs that have been immobilised (either due to being knocked down, or suffering automatic shutdown due to overheating), or via the morale-fuelled skill Precision Strike.

Other than those, the closest you can get to targetting a specific body part is positioning the attacking 'Mech in the right arc of the enemy. So if you've worn down their left-torso, try to position the one making the next attack onto the target's left - this changes the potential locations you'll hit (shown by a pulsing red highlight around the target's damage readout at the top of the screen when selecting a target).

Accuracy: This is displayed on the weapon's panel in the bottom-right as a percentage beside each weapon (showing that particular weapon's chances to hit - you can mouse over a weapon to get a tooltip showing what modifiers are being applied to that weapon's attack). Mousing over an enemy while setting your facing (but before confirming it) can let you preview what chances to hit you'll have from that location before you make the move.

As for the S and A values you mentioned; those are basically HP. A is how many armour points the 'Mech (or the specific location if you're mousing over a particular part) has left while S is how many structure points are left (a location is destroyed when it loses all of its structure points).

Your a godsend, thank you so much! The reviews online made it sound like every shot could be aimed at parts. Do you know how often called shots can be done? Is there a cooldown?

And can armor points be lowered? Or does it work like a static number thats a base defense, where incoming damage goes through that first and left over goes to structure points? Sorry for all the questions.

[wesnef]

Armor is hitpoints.

A mech's arm has, say, 40/60 armor and 30/30 structure.

You hit it with a weapon that does 50 damage. 40 points go off the armor, leaving 0/60. 10 points go off the structure, leaving 20/30.

[Procrastinating Gamer]

What Wesnef said. When a section takes damage, it wears down the armour first (so if a section has 60 points of armour, you need to do 60 points of damage to that section before any damage starts being applied to the internal structure). When a section is destroyed entirely, any leftover damage transfers one step towards the centre torso until it's applied to the CT - so if a limb has 30 structure left and you deal 50 damage to it, that remaining 20 points will be applied to the side torso on that side of the 'Mech, or the CT if that side torso's already been knocked out.

And there's no cooldown on called shots - as long as a 'Mech is on its back or shutdown, you can make as many called shots on it as you like.

Precision Strike, on the other hand, is another issue. It's fuelled by Morale, that blue bar to the left of your pilots' portraits. It slowly builds by a point or two each round, and gains larger boosts when you knock out a 'Mech's section or killing a 'Mech. Precision Strike has no cooldown, but it does cost 25 Morale to use (the Morale bar will show how much you'll lose before you confirm the shot, BTW). It also improves your odds to hit as well, forgot to mention that.

Vigilance works the same way and costs the same amount of Morale, but is a defensive action that gives the 'Mech Guarded and Entrenched as well as removing all stability damage (so same as Bracing) but doesn't end the 'Mech's turn.

[Bladesx]

Something to note is that you should consider structure differently from armor, structure need to be repaired (if your the player), and being able to damage structure means the components are exposed so you can "crit" and damage a component such as a weapon, heatsinks, ammo etc.

[Sentient_Toaster]

To add to that, and specifically why there's a difference between armor and internal structure:

One, once armor is breached -- hits to internal structure can roll critical hits on components within that part. A weapon will be impaired (worse accuracy) with one critical hit and permanently ruined on a second; other components will be destroyed with one critical hit. A critical hit on an ammo storage component causes it to explode, destroying that entire part and injuring the pilot.

Two, and this is just for the player to care about, armor is free and instant to repair between battles. Damage to internal structure takes time and money to repair, even if the limb hasn't been removed and no components were damaged.

[Von Darkmoor]

Thanks for this thread!

[Itchies500]

if you want to see your To Hit Percentages as well as any Penalties - hover over each of your weapons (lower right) when you have a mech targeted. (Best to do so prior to moving).